United Nations Daily Highlights, 10-08-23

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

U.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, August 23, 2010

DARFUR: SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON KALMA CAMP, WORK ON U.N.-A.U. MISSION

The

Security Council is holding consultations on Darfur today. Atul Khare, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed the Council members on the work of the UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID), while Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes discussed the conditions at the Kalma Camp for internally displaced people.

UNAMID continues to conduct confidence building patrols within the Kalma Camp. On Saturday, 13 houses for displaced people were burnt to the ground in one area of the camp. Access continues to be granted to humanitarian NGOs for entry into Kalma by the Humanitarian Aid Commission. There have been no new population movements reported either within or out of the camp.

Also, after nearly five days, tribal fighting is continuing in the Kass region in South Darfur. A UNAMID verification mission is underway to provide an assessment on the situation, including the number of casualties. Atul Khare will speak to reporters at the stakeout following consultations.

Asked about the situation in Kalma, the Spokesperson added that the security situation remains tense. UNAMID continues to patrol and monitor the camp.

The humanitarian situation at Kalma is still fragile, he said. Aid workers have been granted access to the camp, but some of the assistance is not getting through.

Asked whether six people in the camp would be handed over to the Sudanese authorities, the Spokesperson said that questions remain about their safety.

U.N. CONTINUES RELIEF WORK IN PAKISTAN AS NUMBERS OF DISEASE CASES RISE

UN agencies are continuing their work to provide relief in Pakistan, even as the floods there continue to affect more than 15 million people.

To date, the World Food Programme (WFP) has reached about 1.3 million people with a one-month emergency ration of food. But the agency says that approximately 6 million people in all are expected to require food assistance over the next three months.

With large parts the country still cut off by the flood waters, WFP has deployed three heavy-lift helicopters to bolster the airborne relief effort. Some 10 helicopters have been flying daily sorties since the beginning of the month, with additional aircraft promised on Sunday by the Government of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that the number of reporting disease cases is increasing. WHO has reported more than 200,000 of acute diarrhoea, more than 260,000 cases of skin diseases and more than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory diseases in flood-affected provinces.

Asked about air drops of food in Pakistan, the Spokesperson said that helicopter drops are being used in areas where there is no alternative means to deliver aid, while roads are used in other parts of the country.

He said that WFP estimates it still needs at least 40 additional heavy lift helicopters working at full capacity to get food supplies to the huge numbers of increasingly desperate people. With more than 800,000 people estimated cut off from road access, helicopters are vital assets in the race to reach the hungry, he said.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES DECISION TO BEGIN DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE

The Secretary-General, in a

statement issued on Saturday, welcomed the decision by both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to begin direct negotiations, following the

statement of the Quartet and at the invitation of the US Government.

The Secretary-General believes that negotiations are the only way for the parties to resolve all final status issues and he calls upon both sides to show leadership courage, and responsibility to realize the aspirations of both peoples. We should all be aware that this is an opportunity that must not be wasted.

The Secretary-General underlines the importance of the international communitys support to the negotiations and to the achievement of a comprehensive peace in the region in line with the Madrid terms of reference, Security Council Resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. This opportunity must be seized so that the hope of a better future for the people of the region to live in peace, security and freedom can be fully realized.

U.N. TEAM VERIFIES RAPE ALLEGATIONS IN EASTERN CONGO

In North Kivu Province, Banamukira territory, a UN Joint Human Rights team verified allegations of the rape of at least 154 women by a group of Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) and Mayi Mayi Cheka combatants in the village of Bunangiri. Speaking in response to questions, the Spokesperson said that victims are receiving medical care and have also been provided psycho-social care.

The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has a military company operating base in Kibua, some 30 kms east of the location. Nesirky said that FDLR attackers blocked the road and prevented villagers from reaching the nearest communication point.

He added that MONUSCO continues to support the legitimate armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in accordance with its mandate, which is made all the more relevant by recent events in North Kivu province.

SOMALIA: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS EASES BUT TWO MILLION PEOPLE STILL NEED AID

The number of people needing humanitarian assistance in Somalia has dropped by 25 percent to 2 million in the last six months, easing one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises,

according to a UN study published today by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

The report also warns that though Somalia received above average rains, boosting food production and livestock farming, these gains could easily be reversed.

The study also highlights the needs of the Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs), who have been forced from their homes due to conflict in recent years. The UN estimates that there are 1.41 million IDPs in Somalia.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT

SECRETARY-GENERAL NOMINATES JOAN CLOS OF SPAIN AS HEAD OF U.N-HABITAT: In a

document issued today, the Secretary-General has nominated Mr. Joan Clos (Spain) for election by the General Assembly as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, at the level of Under-Secretary-General, for a term of office of four years beginning on 18 October 2010 and ending on 17 October 2014. Mr. Clos would replace Anna Tibaijuka. The Secretary-General trusts that the General Assembly will elect the nominee.

PLANS FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT AUSTRALIA UNDER DISCUSSION: Asked whether the Secretary-General had cancelled a trip to Australia, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had envisaged a trip to Australia, but the timing for that trip remains under discussion.

Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

United Nations, SA-1B15

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

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